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As many of you have noticed over the last 24 hours, Giants 101 has been experiencing some loading problems. The reason for this is that we’ve slowly been transitioning G101 to its new independent servers.

Yes, folks…the move is happening.

I ask that you all, once again, make sure that the domain http://www.Giants101.com is bookmarked.

I’ve requested that in the past and saw various people get lost because they didn’t do it. So I ask you to PLEASE use that URL moving forward as it will soon be the only way to access Giants 101.

Barring any unforeseen setbacks, Giants 101 should be re-launched on its new servers no later than tomorrow afternoon.

For some of you, even if you use the Giants101.com domain, you will still be brought back to this temporary site. It’s just going to take a tad longer for some to make the transition. So the easiest way to see to it that you land on the new page is clear your cookies and cache once the announcement is made that Giants 101 is on the independent servers.

If you’re still being directed back to this temporary site, just have patience. You will be moved over in (a short amount) of time.

PS – I wasn’t lying when I said the move was coming. Haha. It just took longer than expected. Thanks for all the support!

The Chargers have supposedly placed Cromartie on the trading block and are looking to get a running back in return for him.

If The Giants were to deal for Cromartie it would indicate that they are committed to moving either Ross or Thomas to safety.

I would be all for this trade, but the real question is what The Giants would give up to get Cromartie.

If San Diego is looking to get a running back in return for Cromartie, I would (between Jacobs and Bradshaw) be more willing to part ways with Brandon Jacobs. Bradshaw is the more complete back and has a significantly bigger upside.

Thoughts?

~K. Langan

This shouldn’t really surprise anybody on either side of New York. The Jets’ Jay Feely (remember him?) is walking into unrestricted free agency. The Giants, on the other hand, have a well-paid veteran kicker on their hands. Of course, this would not be the first time Lawrence Tynes  has inspired the Giants to take a look at other kickers.

I have mentioned Tynes once or twice over the past few weeks as a prime candidate to get cut. Not that Folk  would be that much cheaper, but if the Giants lack confidence in Tynes (as much as I do) they’d be right to wiggle out of the three years remaining on his contract this penalty-free offseason. As PFT points out, Tynes is scheduled to make $1.1, $1.2, and $1.3 Million per year over the next three.

Even if Tynes were to make it to camp, he’s going to have competition from every angle. The Giants have a kicker named Sam Swank on the roster, and clearly they are looking at the veteran FA market. A big factor in whether Tynes even makes it to camp could be the dates of any bonuses or guarantees in his contract.

If my name was Jerry Reese, and Nick Folk: (a) looked healthy at his tryout, and (b) was agreeable to a one-year deal… Lawrence Tynes would have an entire offseason to find a new job.

In 2009, Wilson recorded 106 tackles and four interceptions in what was a very impressive season for the Bills. Unfortunately for Wilson, he was overshadowed by fellow safety Jairus Byrd who recorded nine interceptions in his rookie season.

Wilson has four years of experience, so as a restricted free agent, he could qualify for one of the following tenders:

Four years of experience

Original pick compensation: $1.176 million

Second round tender: $1.759 million

First round tender: $2.521 million

First and third tender: $3.168 million

Last season, the Bills tendered Wilson at a $1.01 million salary, which was his original pick compensation (this depends on the round a player was drafted in).

Outside of the unlikely first round tender (would the Bills really pay their third safety $2.5 million?), it would be worth it for the Giants to go after Wilson, even if they have to give up a draft pick to get him.

Wilson knows the system that Perry Fewell will install, and is also coming off of his best season as a pro. His best days are ahead of him.

Sure the Giants can go after a safety in the draft, but it would be wise to give up a draft pick for a known commodity such as Wilson at a position of need.

Other Free Agent Possibilities

Karlos Dansby —Dansby and Wilson would be a dream offseason, as it would give the Giants a lot of leverage in the draft. In round one the Giants could go after a defensive tackle or even offensive linemen if they feel like the value is there.

Chester Taylor —Chester Taylor is the youngest 30-year-old running back you will ever come across. He has had very few touches compared to most backs in the league, and is a great pass catcher and pass blocker. If he were to sign with New York he would have a very Derrick Ward-like role. And that’s a good thing.

We often referred to the now departed Bill Sheridan as a failure at defensive coordinator, and some even called for the termination of Super Bowl XLII winning coach Tom Coughlin over the team’s struggles.

And rightfully so.

The Giants went into the 2009-10 season with high expectations. And after a fast start, many of us were thinking about a return trip to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, things fell apart quickly and the finger pointing began.

In the end, the coaches got the brunt of it. But was it really fair for Sheridan and Coughlin to shoulder all of the blame?

Initially, I thought so. It really seemed as if the Giants were unprepared and consistently unmotivated…but in reading a dated Santana Moss (Washington Redskins) blog, I had to reconsider my original assessment.

“Those guys were prepared,” Moss said. “They knew everything. I remember guys calling my routes off of my alignments. It’s very interesting. When we play the Giants, they come up with a whole different game plan. I’ve never seen the same thing playing them. Out of all the times we’ve played them, they come up with something different the first and second game.”

Those guys were prepared…

That’s something we heard very little of the entire season.

“You might see it now and then, where a team might look at something, but to hear it wows you at times,” Moss added. “Before you’re running routes, you hear guys saying they’re looking for this. We ran a route one time where I knew they knew my alignment so I changed it and when they called out … I heard the guys talking, saying I thought he would do this. I was shaking my head.”

This doesn’t say much about their former head coach Jim Zorn, but it does speak volumes about the Giants and their readiness for games.

To assume the Giants were only prepared for the two Redskins games would be absurd. So what this tells me is while Sheridan wasn’t fit for the job he was given, the coaches did everything in their power to make the players ready for what they were going to see each weekend.

Now, don’t get me wrong…I believe letting go of Sheridan was the right move. But perhaps we were all too quick to blame Coughlin and not quick enough to force some of the players to take responsibility for their struggles.

While Coughlin isn’t without blame, the lack of talent on the field due to injuries was a big contributing factor. Couple that with certain players lack of leadership and prima donna attitude, and it was a recipe for disaster. A disaster that wasn’t all the coaches fault.

The big issue here is that vested veterans can be cut without any cap repercussions (obviously, because there’s no cap). Any player with a big base salary, declining production, or young player behind him (or any combination of these factors) is on the bubble. Let’s take a look at who should be expecting to be leaving:

Rocky Bernard– By the end of the 2009 season, Bernard was but a body. He signed a 4-year/$16 million contract in the offseason, but was deactivated for several games down the stretch. It’s a good bet the Giants won’t pay out the remaining $9 million-ish owed to this waste of space if they don’t have to. And guess what, they don’t have to.

Danny Clark– If Tom Coughlin’s worst trait is an inability to bring himself to put his young players on the field, then players like Danny Clark are his enablers. Clark is a smart player and solid leader but his age is beginning to highlight the weaknesses in his game. With players like Clint Sintim and Bryan Kehl nipping at his heels, most Giants fans hope Jerry Reese sends Clark packing so Coughlin can’t be tempted. CORRECTION: Danny Clark is a free agent, sorry.

Kareem McKenzie-- This is one of the more arguable decisions of the off-season for Jerry Reese. In my opinion the combination of his $4 million salary, bad back, and Will Beatty, will probably cost McKenzie his job, although this one could go in any direction. The Giants might just pay him his money and be glad to have him, in whatever role he fills; Jerry Reese might make some phone calls to see if there is interest in a reliable and still viable veteran OT; they might ask him to renegotiate; he might be a free agent in a couple weeks. 

Lawrence Tynes– This is one that hasn’t got a lot of attention, but is probably as much a foregone conclusion as Bernard. Tynes has inspired nothing but kicking tryouts for free agent kickers (and a job for John Carney) the last couple years. He can’t even approach the endzone on a kickoff. He also makes over a million bucks the next couple years. Maybe he makes it to camp, but even then he’ll have stiff competition.

 Chris Canty– I highly, highly doubt Canty gets cut, as it would leave the defensive line awfully thin. But he’s immensely overpaid any way you look at it. He’s the highest paid player on the team outside of Eli Manning, and quite frankly, that’s ridiculous. If John Mara were to take a chain saw to the payroll the way some other owners are going to, Canty would be in danger.

Osi Umenyiora– He’s not going to get cut; he’s too good to get cut. That said, he is a trade possibility. His salary is high but manageable, and there are plenty of teams that could use a player like Osi. Jerry Reese might want to rid himself of a headache by trading Osi before he turns into Shockey Part Two. Do not discount the prevalence of player trades this offseason. Players like Osi and McKenzie, who can still produce but have younger, cheaper talent behind them are going to have increased trade value in this offseason, as teams find that the free agency market holds very few answers.

Did I miss anyone?

“The major reason that I felt strongly about Mike Sullivan coaching the quarterbacks here is that Mike has been with us for all six years and he’s been an integral part of the progress of our pass game,” Coughlin said. “He was the position coach for the wide receivers last year and worked very closely with the quarterbacks and the offensive coordinator. He has a very good understanding of our passing game. He did the majority of the work in assembling our first and second down pass game. He is an industrious, very hard-working, very intelligent coach who looks forward to each challenge. In the words of Eli, he knows exactly what we can expect from Sully and that Mike is a grinder. Mike is going to work extremely hard in the face of any challenge – and his challenge is to continue the development of Eli.”

Sullivan, who has been with the Giants since 2004, was promoted from his position as wide receivers coach. Meanwhile, offensive quality control coach Sean Ryan has been promote to Sullivan’s old job.

“I’m very grateful to Coach Coughlin and the Giants organization for this great opportunity,” Ryan said. “You dream about this chance to help keep the offense moving in a positive direction. I also feel lucky that I’m stepping into a situation where I have an existing working relationship with these guys. I’ve got three years with them assisting Sully and working with them on a daily basis. I know how they work. I know effective ways that Sully used to coach them and I think that’s going to be really beneficial.

What will his legacy be?

Perhaps Pierce as a vocal leader.

Perhaps as a captain of a Superbowl defense.

Perhaps for blowing an air-horn at the media.

More cynical parties will always remember Pierce being burned by Brian Westbrook, or being at the Latin Quarter on the eve of November 30th, 2008.

Lets take a look at what the consensus is regarding Pierce’s career as a Giant:

Mike Garfolo of The Newark Star Ledger - While Pierce provided many on-field highlights during his time with the Giants, there’s no doubt the Burress situation ranks right up there as one of his defining moments. Pierce understands that, and says it’s also a memorable chapter in his career for him. After all, that’s when he learned how much the Giants supported him.

Ralph Vacciano of The New York Daily News - In 2007, Pierce was one of the emotional leaders of the team during its charge to the Super Bowl XLII championship. The Giants played that season with a huge chip on their shoulders and an us-against-the-world mentality, which they took largely from him.

Krow From Giants 101 - Yeah, he blew up that screen just like a professional MLB, that was his shining moment for sure. The airhorn was right up there too, very funny.

But he kind of erased it all by being an absolutely lousy team captain and facilitating Plax’s downfall which started the avalanche of (stuff) that’s led us to the miserable situation we’re in now.

I’m not crying any tears for AP. The Giants made him rich and famous and in return he helped destroy the team.

Dan from Giants 101 - Say what you want about the man – and call him all the names you can – but much of the Giants success since 2005 stems from what he brought to their defense. And without him commanding the middle, there’s a good chance Big Blue would not have won the Super Bowl in 2007.

Rob Domaine on Pierce’s career as a Giant – R.I.P. AP.

Kevin Boss - AP made me a better player going against him everyday in training camp…I learned a ton from him… He will certainly be missed!

Either way, Pierce’s release comes as no surprise. John Mara and The Giants seem dead set on getting younger and getting better, particularly on defense.

The upcoming draft is very deep at the linebacker position, and the unrestricted free agent market will offer Big Blue the chance to sign Karlos Dansby.

Many of the needed upgrades are beginning to take shape.

The release of Antonio Pierce is, in my mind, the end of a slow death to The Giants of yesteryear, The Giants who established the reputation that the 2009 team lived off of for so long.

Consider the page turned.

Although AP had one year remaining on the contract he signed in 2005, his age and the bulging disk he suffered last season almost certainly played a role in this decision.

“I’m doing great, feeling great,” Pierce wrote. “Looking forward to endless possibilities. Loved every moment as a NY GIANT.”

Say what you want about the man – and call him all the names you can – but much of the Giants success since 2005 stems from what he brought to their defense. And without him commanding the middle, there’s a good chance Big Blue would not have won the Super Bowl in 2007.

On behalf of Giants 101 and most other Giants fans, I say thank you to AP.

Once a Giant, always a Giant.